Sunday, June 23, 2013

Deep Purple - Machine Head, 1972


At the age of 16 I used to be a zealous purist of the seventies' progressive rock movement. I was barely beginning to discover the greatest rock discographies, and from within that yet undiscovered abundance could afford a luxury of not liking Deep Purple. Feeling respect, but by no means affection – finding their songs too chopped compared to the fluent melodism of Uriah Heep's golden line up's sound. Plus a touch of a teenage snobbery was involved to be completely honest. But that's not the point – the point is that even back then Machine Head moved every single muscle of my weird soul and I considered it exceptional at the very least. And by the way, for a long time I wouldn't believe that the cover art was produced in a precomputer age.

The record sounds rather a greatest hits compilation than a studio album. No, seriously - Highway Star, Maybe I'm a Leo, Pictures of Home, Never Before, Smoke on the Water, Lazy, Space Truckin' – all on the same album?! Juicily heavy, without a single slow three-hankie but with a plenty of marvelous guitar and organ sections, recorded by likely the greatest line-up of one of the greatest bands from the Known Universe – it's a freaking work of art! Once in Berlin I happened to see a “best of '72” compilation CD, which (out of about 20 tracks) included 2 titles from Machine Head.

So would it come as a surprise there is a Wikipedia article for each song and a tribute album to the album? And could it be you haven't heard it yet?


Wikipedia: Album|Artist

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